Uncharted 3 second anniversary update and Reddit AMA

It’s been two years since Uncharted 3 was released. Our community is simply amazing and we’re looking to make it stronger than ever. To that end we combed over a multitude of comments and forum posts to see what you wanted changed in the multiplayer game. We took the most highly sought changes mentioned and made them happen. The list of those changes is below and it’s an epic patch that rivals patch 1.13.

We wanted to celebrate our two biggest changes to the multiplayer in a video. Here you go:

A new map and all our DLC maps, meaning all the multiplayer maps are now free… pretty cool, huh? We asked Lead Game Designer Robert Cogburn to shed a little insight on the making of the Dry Docks map:

Robert Cogburn: When the Dry Docks map was pitched as a single player level for Uncharted 3 the talented Game Designer Junki Saita was working on a number of setups for the level. All these level setups were represented in a blockmesh format – this is a 3D representation of a playable space using rudimentary geometry made in Maya (the 3D program we use at Naughty Dog). We’ve shown a number of maps like this for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer via our Block Mesh Lab Maps.

One setup in particular Junki was working on showed a lot of promise for a multiplayer map so I grabbed the blockmesh and started editing it for competitive multiplayer. After some time had passed, it was determined the setup for single player would not be used and instead the single player layout you see in the final version of the game was completed. This meant what I had done to make Dry Docks would ONLY be used for multiplayer.

Making games is very time consuming so you cut things that make sense. It made sense to not have our art team invest time in taking the multiplayer version of Dry Docks to the level of quality we adhere to at Naughty Dog – therefore the Dry Docks map was cut.

A little less than two years passed and the map was forgotten.

With the two year anniversary for Uncharted 3 and its multiplayer, and the number of cool things we are doing for 1.18, we decided to resurrect this map and release it to our fans. It’s quite different from the original version but the changes we’ve made has made Dry Docks all the better.
We hope you enjoy it.

As for the full breadth of the patch, here is the rundown of changes we made:

Maps

All DLC maps are now available to download for free! Go to the in game store and download the Flashback Map Pack 1, 2 and Drake’s Deception Map Pack.

Dry Docks makes its triumphant debut and is available in all competitive playlists and custom games!

Co-op

Old Quarter map has been added to Co-op arena mode

The drop rate for all co-op treasures has been increased

Old Quarter has been removed from the Hunter Arena playlist.

Weapons

Hipfire accuracy has been greatly reduced on all weapons along with the angle and distance at which the auto lock engages. But Blindfire from cover has not been changed

Increased recoil on the M9

Decreased recoil on FAL-SS

Rate of Fire mod has been decreased on the M9, Arm Micro and KAL-7

The recoil of the last round fired in a G-MAL burst has been significantly reduced

The burst delay and recoil have been reduced on the Raffica

The accuracy mod on the Raffica has been slightly improved

The recoil has been reduced on the Tau Sniper and the weapon does not automatically scope

The rate of fire mod has increased effectiveness for the Tau Sniper

Gameplay

Sprint maneuverability moderately reduced

Mega Bombs and Cluster Bombs can no longer be thrown back (competitive mode only)

The Marked Man power play now occurs when a team is up 8 kills instead of 6

The Exposed power play occurs when a team is up 10 kills instead of 8 and the range that player names appear has been reduced from 40 meters to 20

The Double Damage power play now occurs when a team is up 15 kills instead of 10 and the damage the losing team does is only x1.5 instead of x2

Deathmatch has been removed from Team Objective

Increase score limit in three-team Deathmatch from 20 to 25

Increase score limit of free-for-all from 15 to 20

Multiple steps have been added during the matchmaking process to help find games with lower ping. Wait times to find matches during off peak hours may increase

A minor note: if you notice any doubling of boosters, reconfigure your loadouts. Once you un-equip and re-equip your boosters there should be no more visible doubling effect. This effect is purely aesthetic (in the UI) and has no impact on gameplay.

And there it is. This will be the final major patch to Uncharted 3 unless there’s a dire need for a future one. Our support for the game will continue via Lab updates and community events.

We’re also offering up some super deep discounts on select Uncharted 3 multiplayer items. Check the in-game store and on the PlayStation Store to see what’s on sale in your region.

Enjoy the Dry Docks map, the discounts, and now having all multiplayer maps for free. Thank you for an incredible two years. We’ll see you online!

where are the free maps? When I go to the store it says they are unavailable and when I try to add them to the cart they still have the normal prices. Are they only gonna be free tomorrow when the store update goes up?

it only took 2 years of everyone complaining for you to address the 1 thing that single handedly ruined U3 multiplayer! Well done :/ I might actually have checked it out again had I not sold it because you guys ignored all the complaints,… oh well, Hopefully a lesson learnt over at ND ey…

The patch notes don’t mention that the spawn locations for Museum in TDM have been changed. When I played today, I spawned in the Museum near the shotgun which never happened before. It is probably more balanced now because before, one team started near a hammer and t-bolt and the other team only got a t-bolt. Now, one team is by the hammer and the other team is by the shotgun. Also, did anybody notice that for a while a couple weeks ago, the Museum had 2 hammer spawn points instead of 1? I noticed it right away because I use Power Hunter. It was really unbalanced because 1 team would start right next to 2 hammers. Overall, this seams like a good patch. I wonder why Team Safe was moved to slot 1, though. And thanks Naughty Dog for the awesome new map. I’m loving it!!!